Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER MARCH 2018 22 FEATURES LABOUR RELATIONS New challenges for unions Demographic shifts, technology, remote work create new type of workplace By Graeme McFarlane T he modern workplace is vastly different than that experienced even a short while ago. ere are many changes underway: some struc- tural, some attitudinal and some technological. Together, all of these changes directly affect how management interacts with employees and unions. e demographic makeup of the workplace is undergoing a dramatic shift. Baby boomers are finally starting to retire, and mil- lennials are arriving with new and different expectations. Although grossly generalized, these cohorts bring different ex- periences and have very different expectations and needs. With the end of mandatory retirement, many baby boomers choose to continue working far past 65. As the workplace ages, employ- ers are faced with more problems regarding disability management and are also concerned that when the boomers leave, they will take vast repositories of knowledge and experience with them. Millennials have demonstrated a desire for specific, individual- ized job training, and a higher lev- el of feedback. A job for life is not the expectation or even the goal for this group. Indeed, they often express impatience or the need for instant results by frequently changing jobs or even careers. e notion of democratic rights is being eroded by the millennial focus on individual needs. Ac- cordingly, unions are becoming concerned about an increasing number of "fair representation" complaints. e growth sectors of the economy generally empha- size and reward individual skills or non-substitutable labour. is runs contrary to many of the prin- ciples that unions have advanced during the industrial period. On the other hand, progressive unions are using their history of activism and political involve- ment to position themselves as an alternate choice for younger workers who feel disenfranchised with the status quo. Younger people are less likely to be unionized and that number is in decline. ere are many theo- ries as to why. Some suggest mil- lennials want to maintain control over the terms of their work rela- tionships and build in flexibility. Others say that modern careers in service industries are harder to organize, so there are fewer union positions to occupy in the new economy. And robots are now heavily used in factory settings. Tradi- tional jobs have been replaced with technicians responsible for maintaining and programming these robotic systems. As a result, the education and training need- ed for what were once considered blue-collar positions have greatly increased. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be the next technological wave to impact the workforce, and there are many knowledge-based jobs that could be replaced. Intertwined with technology are societies' notions about work itself. ere is a practical reality, and work and life are not separate and distinct ideas. Work is often an in- tegral part of someone's life — it is not simply a private contractual relationship, it is a social institu- tion that can require regulation by society. Legal regulation has moved from the protection of the tangi- ble (such as minimum wages and hours of work) to the intangible (such as injury to dignity or pri- vacy interests). ere have been an increasing number of interesting complaints related to workplace situations. One example is the issue of con- nectivity. It is important for em- ployers to have policies in place that address remote work. Many questions can arise. How is this work paid? Monitored? How is proprietary information protect- ed? How is privacy maintained? With all of this change, unions have to adapt to remain relevant. With the decline in labour- servicing mass production, it has become more costly for unions to properly serve members. As a re- sult, unions have to find new ways to communicate and support members who are often scattered in locations across a jurisdiction. With significant technological advancements on the horizon, the future workplace may be com- pletely different than today. Hold on tight, we are in for a ride. Graeme McFarlane is a founding partner at Roper Greyell in Vancouver, providing strategic and practical advice to employers on labour, employment and human rights issues in the workplace. He can be reached at gmcfarlane@ropergreyell or visit www.ropergreyell.com for more information. 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